DE 203 04 220 U1 discloses a device for the drying of sludge, whereby the sludge to be dried is spread out on a drying bed for solar drying. The device is provided with a tool bridge on which a plurality of sludge-treating tools are installed. The device is capable of moving over the drying bed for turning the sludge over and crumbling it. For this operation, the tool bridge is moved, e.g., on lateral running paths, extending next to the drying bed. In a further development the proposal is made to provide the tool bridge with a rake blade. The rake shield spreads out the previously dewatered sludge evenly on the drying bed and, upon completion of the drying process, pushes the dried sludge out of the bed. The next charge of material is then provided for drying. The tools installed on the tool bridge serve to mix through and crumble the sludge, but transportation through the drying installation is not possible by means of the tools. A continuous arrival and removal of material to be dried is therefore not possible.
DE 201 07 576 U1 discloses a device for the drying of moist material in which the moist material is spread out in a drying bed to be dried. Warm drying air is fed to the moist material via a blower arrangement. In an advantageous embodiment, a mixing and raking-out device for the mixing and transporting of the moist material is provided. The mixing or turning over makes uniform drying of the moist material possible as contact between all components of the material to be dried with the drying air is ensured. In addition, the mixing and raking-out device makes a further transportation of drying material through the installation possible during turnover. The drying material can be conveyed to and from the drying installation by conveyors. It is however a disadvantage with this mixing and raking device that conglomerates of moist material can form during the turn-over process, to be then deposited by the mixing device. During the following mixing process these conglomerates are taken up with great difficulty by the mixing apparatus because they are pushed ahead by the scoops of the mixing device or roll away from them. These conglomerates are thus not back-mixed into the moist material to be dried but are conveyed through the drying installation with still very high residual moisture content and are removed via the conveyor. Sufficient and even drying of the moist material can thus not be achieved.
It is the object of the present invention to avoid the above-described disadvantages and to create an apparatus by means of which a continuous arrival and removal of drying material as well as uniform drying throughout can be achieved.